OK, got my new T430 (Windows 8 ) and popped in 16 Gb of memory, went to boot memtest+ from the CD/DVD drive and found out that the T430 will not boot from the CD drive in its default configuration. Won't even boot Windows 7 install DVD. Doesn't even boot from CD/DVD if you hit F12 and select CD/DVD as a boot option from the boot menu (it just reloads the boot menu).

Turns out the security and UEFI settings prevent booting from the drive (and probably the USB ports and other ports as well).Here is how you configure the BIOS to boot from CD/DVD and possibly USB and other external means (have only tested CD/DVD not USB)

<enter> on boot and choose BIOS (note- sometimes you don't get the option to press <enter> depending on how you shutdown. Hold down the power button to turn off and you are probably get to hit the <enter> option.

Is this a T430 boot issue or a Windows 8 boot issue? Seems live I've read you can't make Windows 8 backup disks -- you can only make backup memory sticks -- but I'm not sure that's correct.

I wonder if a T430 running Windows 7 handles boot order without the work around? I put Windows 8 on one of my T400's and also on my X100e. I'll check tomorrow and see if I can boot from usb on the X100e/no optical/ and from disk on my T400 -- Inquiring minds want to know

Yes and no. Win8 (and possibly RHEL) are the only things that can boot with UEFI Secure Boot enabled. It's not Win8's fault you can't boot from media, it's a setting issue on the Thinkpad. It's not a problem, just an irritant.

This is not a ThinkPad issue. We should be thankful that Lenovo has provided a means of disabling UEFI. If you need to blame someone for this non-sense, look to Microsoft. Somehow, they have convince motherboard manufacturers to include this new "security feature" that prevents a computer from booting anything that does not have a digital key provided by Microsoft!

" a digital key provided by Microsoft!"Is that what this is all about?? If so, it's very, very frustrating for the average user -- i.e. me --

I have drawers full of Microsoft software and COA's for any ThinkPad I've ever owned. Quite often, after upgrading machine and OS, I have passed my ThinkPads on to someone who would not otherwise have a computer. I have kept on file Windows OS Keys/Activation info, fearing someone may need to reinstall and would not be able to do so without correct, authorized key.

Its tedius to keep all these COA numbers on file, but Microsoft requires the info to prevent piracy. I get that -- I do not understand what this new Microsoft security digital key is supposed to accomplish that my COA matching key does not. I guess I will pay particular attention to the above posts in order to understand how to disable this feature, but this all leaves me a bit confused

Yeah, it is really stupid.Especially when I called lenovo tech support, and asked how I install windows 7. They said it is impossible to boot into any other operating system.Yeah, so impossible that it is possible when you disable the secure boot >.<

That's the good thing about getting a business class PC like the Thinkpad - they have to accommodate enterprise environments where they could still be running XP, or Linux, or who knows what.

It is Mickeysoft's fault that we're getting this pushed, but hopefully by the time we're required to use it the programming community will have found a way to install a Secure Boot compatible boot loader to bootstrap our other OSes.

Hi. Author @john1in2, THANK YOU for these instructions. Lenovo sent me recovery disks and instructions to perform the recovery process, but I couldn't set the boot device correctly. I made your recommended changes in Security and Startup tabs and voila! Thanks a billion. I also did not know that my CD/DVD drive is named ATAPI CDO HL-xxxxxect, so thank you.